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Helicopter pilot reports that the proximity of an unlit oil drilling rig poses a hazard to air traffic and precludes the use of GPS approachs to 9f2.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 629815 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200409 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 9f2.airport |
| State Reference | LA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pvd.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1600 |
| ASRS Report | 629815 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Airport |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
The helicopter GPS approachs into 9f2 have been notamed out because of an unlit drilling rig located 0.3 NM west of the missed approach point for the GPS approachs. With the advent of hurricane season plus the lev VOR also notamed out, no IFR approachs can be accomplished. The rig name is the dolphin 109, nabors offshore drilling company. At a minimum this rig should be required to have lights on its derrick so we won't hit it at night. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the unlit drilling rig is 350 ft tall and is .3 miles west of the 9f2 helicopter GPS missed approach point. Reporter advises that the rig is not permanent, but is a jack-up drilling rig and it is unknown how long it will be in the close proximity of 9f2. Reporter states that with the lev VOR being out of service along with the 9f2 GPS approachs being notamed out, helicopters are more apt to be attempting to make low level approachs to remain VFR. This makes the unlit rig particularly hazardous.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT RPTS THAT THE PROXIMITY OF AN UNLIT OIL DRILLING RIG POSES A HAZARD TO AIR TFC AND PRECLUDES THE USE OF GPS APCHS TO 9F2.
Narrative: THE HELI GPS APCHS INTO 9F2 HAVE BEEN NOTAMED OUT BECAUSE OF AN UNLIT DRILLING RIG LOCATED 0.3 NM WEST OF THE MISSED APCH POINT FOR THE GPS APCHS. WITH THE ADVENT OF HURRICANE SEASON PLUS THE LEV VOR ALSO NOTAMED OUT, NO IFR APCHS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED. THE RIG NAME IS THE DOLPHIN 109, NABORS OFFSHORE DRILLING COMPANY. AT A MINIMUM THIS RIG SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE LIGHTS ON ITS DERRICK SO WE WON'T HIT IT AT NIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE UNLIT DRILLING RIG IS 350 FT TALL AND IS .3 MILES W OF THE 9F2 HELI GPS MISSED APCH POINT. RPTR ADVISES THAT THE RIG IS NOT PERMANENT, BUT IS A JACK-UP DRILLING RIG AND IT IS UNKNOWN HOW LONG IT WILL BE IN THE CLOSE PROX OF 9F2. RPTR STATES THAT WITH THE LEV VOR BEING OUT OF SERVICE ALONG WITH THE 9F2 GPS APCHS BEING NOTAMED OUT, HELIS ARE MORE APT TO BE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE LOW LEVEL APCHS TO REMAIN VFR. THIS MAKES THE UNLIT RIG PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.